ANOTHER DECEASED GIRL DUE TO LACK OF OXYGENE IN HOSPITALS

According to the little girl’s uncle, who testified in an information that went viral, his niece died in the ambulance of “Les Soeurs du Dispensaire de Nkolbisson” (the sisters of the Nkolbisson dispensary) after having toured several hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon to look for oxygen.

Recently, another young girl, of around 5 years old lost her life. According to her uncle’s testimony, the little girl died in an ambulance after touring the hospitals of Yaoundé in search of oxygen. “I am writing to you with a broken heart. My niece died this early morning at 1:25 a.m. in the ambulance from the “Les Soeurs du Dispensaire de Nkolbisson” (the sisters of the Nkolbisson dispensary) because there was no oxygen in the various so-called reference hospitals in Yaoundé (Fondation, Hôpital Central, CHU). It’s when we take the road to the L’hôpital gynéco (gynecological hospital) in Ngousso, Yaoundé, Cameroon, that she dies on the way. From 7 p.m. to 1:25 a.m., we visited hospitals to have my niece put on oxygen but nothing. It’s too much” explains the girl’s uncle in distraught.
According to reports, this is not the only case of death of a child in Yaoundé, within this month due to lack of oxygen. Last week Thursday, October 12th 2023, two other 5-year-old children died at Biyem Assi hospital from lack of oxygen. This incident occurred in the evening of Tuesday 17th October 2023, causing great tensions in this hospital located in the 6th district of Yaoundé.

According to sources on the previous deaths, a very young child called Luka enrolled in “Les Dégourdis” primary school, a prestigious school located in Montée Jouvence, was hit by a vehicle in the Biyem-Assi Superette district, at a place called “Candy Bar”. It was by 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, little children were playing ball. A resident of the neighbourhood, manoeuvres his vehicle to turn into this alley, inside the neighbourhood, in the middle of the homes. Carefree, the kids play ball. A neighbour pass by, and reproaches them for playing games the day before a day of school. A few minutes later, a motorist manoeuvres his vehicle to turn, and he doesn’t see the kid falling to the ground in the dynamics of the game, and comes to hit him just when he wants to get up. Little Louka, a student at SIL at the “Les Dégourdis” school, once overturned, the child was transported by the owner of the vehicle, to the Biyem-Assi district hospital. He was still conscious, and even managed to recount the events to his mother. Arriving on the scene, diligence was done and the little one was taken care of. But the situation got complicated a few minutes later. It was then necessary to put the little one under intensive care. The Biyem-Assi hospital failed in its responsibilities, due of lack of oxygen. Little Louka, was starting to lose his breath. An oxygen bag that kept a two-day-old infant alive was administered to him, but it was too late. An hour had already passed. The boy died.

After the child’s death, tension rose a notch at the hospital, between the families and the nursing staff. Fortunately, the police arrived in time, informed of the death of little Louka following a car accident. After the incident, some gendarmes remained at the Biyem-Assi hospital, just to reassure themselves of the return of serenity to the scene.

Delia Nyadi